


Steve's Strange Love Life As Witnessed By Darcy Lewis (Stark)

by Illusinia



Series: Darcy Stark Series [20]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Being Dads is hard, Darcy gives strangely good advice, F/M, Loki and Tony somehow manage to have something in common, Steve just can't get a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 05:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1102829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illusinia/pseuds/Illusinia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy helps Steve get a date with an old friend. Too bad they didn't know her father wouldn't approve.</p><p>(Or: the one where Steve gets a date with what turns out to be a God's daughter. And is promptly beaten up for it.)</p><p>Note: this whole thing is from Darcy's point of view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I feel bad throwing Fen in here before I've introduced her properly but as nothing from the Spider man and Darcy college arc is done yet, I don't really have a choice. So ask as many questions about Fen as you have, if you have any, and I promise I'll answer them.
> 
> I'm also incredibly sorry for the very long amount of time between updates. I am still updating this series, there is more coming, and my computer and notebooks are filled with half-completed stories and sketches from this and every other story I have. These two just happened to be in my editing folder. I'm sorry there isn't more between them, but as Darcy and her family are the focus here, I don't have much on what Steve and Fen are doing as they date. If you all want more, say the word. I can't guarantee when it'll happen, but say the word and it will.
> 
> \- Illusinia

Darcy's ears perked up immediately as soon as she heard the heavy footsteps that belonged to Steve in the entry way. Checking her watch and confirming it was in fact 7:30 am, she headed for the sound of the First Avenger's footfalls. Her archer had been more fidgety than normal since Peter had joined the group and she wanted to know why. And Steve was the person most likely to know what was going on.

 

“Steve?” called Darcy as she stuck her head out of the living room where she'd been chilling.

 

The super-soldier's footsteps halted in the hallway, turning to face Darcy where she stood in the living room doorway. “Good morning, Darcy. Are you just up or heading to bed?”

 

“Just up,” replied Darcy with a shrug. “Meetings this morning that Mom's making me attend.”

 

Seeing Steve in front of her now, she noticed two things. One: he had a cup of coffee in hand from a local coffee shop, something he never did when he ran because he said it was counter-intuitive. And two, his cheeks were still red from what Darcy guessed must have been a very, very acute blush. Clint's self-esteem issues could wait. “So, what's up with you, Steve? You never get coffee when you run.”

 

“I needed the boost today,” replied Steve, fidgeting slightly.

 

“Uh-huh,” hummed Darcy with a smile. “And the remainders of the blush?”

 

“W-what blush?” asked Steve, his face turning red even as he spoke.

 

Darcy just burst out laughing. “Relax, Steve. I'm not gonna bite. I'm just curious.”

 

Steve's blush darkened even more, turning his cheeks the color of a tomato. It made Darcy was to pinch his cheeks and hug him at the same time. “Nothing happened....”

 

“Steve....” trailed Darcy, putting on her best puppy-dog look. The one that got her father to take her from Malibu to New York City for ice cream on school nights. “I'm not gonna laugh. Promise. I'm just worried about you.”

 

For a moment, she thought it might not work the way Steve tried to turn away. Tried being the key word. He failed at it and she could see the moment he broke because his shoulders slumped and he started toeing the floor. “There's....there's this lady at the coffee shop. I spotted her one day when she was coming out. She's really pretty...”

 

Inside, Darcy did her happy dance. _This is adorable_. And a relief. She'd been beginning to suspect Steve was too caught up on Peggy to look at another woman. Or that the man wasn't as straight as he claimed to be, which was appealing but seemed highly unlikely. “Have you talked to her yet?”

 

“No,” admitted Steve with a blush. “She doesn't even notice me....”

 

Giggling like a school girl internally while mentally cooing over how adorable Steve was, Darcy guided the super soldier into the kitchen and pushed him onto one of the stools. “Why do you think that she doesn't notice you?”

 

“Because she's a beautiful dame,” replied Steve, blushing more even as his eyes unfocused a little. “She's always got some kinda book with her and usually she's reading when I go by. I tried goin' into the shop today and hoping I'd catch her to say hello, but she was ahead of me and then she left before I got through the line.”

 

Darcy shook her head, grabbing a cup for coffee. “I still don't get why you think she doesn't see you. You're a damn hot guy.”

 

“'Cause she's always focused on her book and, well, I'm just a kid from Brooklyn,” explained Steve, shifting uneasily. “She's always readin' thick books, some of 'em not even in English, and I just can't see a girl like that bein' interested in a guy like me.”

 

“Brainy girls go for jocks,” joked Darcy, leaning on the counter across from Steve. “What if I come out running with you tomorrow morning and help you meet this girl?”

 

The look on Steve's face was a cross between hope and absolute fear. “I-it's okay, I can handle it-”

 

“Steve,” cut in Darcy firmly. “I'm not going to embarrass you. Promise. I'll just be your wing man. Er, woman. What time does she go to the coffee shop?”

 

Steve shuffled his feet a little, still looking torn. “I see her around seven....”

 

“So we'll go by at seven, just like you do every day, and see if we can see her,” explained Darcy with a grin, not giving Steve the chance to object. “Besides, the exercise will be good for me.”

 

\----------------------------------

 

“You know, I'm surprised Darcy,” huffed Steve as they rounded the corner, drawing nearer to their target: the coffee shop. “I didn't think you'd be this awake in the morning.”

 

“Awake?” asked Darcy, her breath puffing in the cool Autumn air. She would have laughed if she didn't need all her air to keep up with Steve's pace. And he was slowing down for her sake! _Mental note to self, never ask Steve to be my personal trainer. Ever. It will only end badly._ “I never went to sleep last night.”

 

Steve just shook his head. “I should have guessed.”

 

Rounding the block, Steve slowed down significantly as they neared the coffee shop. Darcy could see the way his eyes scanned the area for any sign of his mystery girl. Half a second later, the super-soldier pointed to the cafe. “She just want inside.”

 

“Alright,” stated Darcy firmly, rubbing her hands together like the mag genius she is, “let's get down to business, to defeat the Huns!”

 

“Uh, what?” asked Steve, momentarily side-tracked by Darcy's one-line randomness.

 

Darcy just shrugged. “I was watching Mulan around 3 am. Apparently, it's when I'm most susceptible to songs becoming stuck in my head.”  
  


“Why weren't you asleep anyway?” asked Steve curiously.

 

“Clint wasn't home,” replied Darcy with as causal a shrug as she could pull off. She didn't really want to explain to Steve that when Clint was out on missions she couldn't really sleep. Or that she hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe and monitored his status from her workshop when he was deployed. Or that she'd flagged the entire S.H.I.E.L.D network to alert her when a new document pertaining to him was posted....she really needed a new hobby. Maybe one that made her sound like less of a deranged stalker....

 

Steve didn't pry any further once she'd answered, instead returning his focus on the coffee shop. There wasn't anything he could really tell her anyway, not that she didn't already know. “So, what do we do?”

 

“Walk up and say hello,” replied Darcy with a shrug heading for the coffee house at an easy pace. “That's usually how normal people greet each other.”

 

“That's how I greet people!” objected Steve, hurrying after Darcy.

 

“Really?” asked Darcy with a touch of a smirk. “I thought throwing each other through walls was how superheros said hello.”

 

A small smile tugged at the corner of Steve's lips. “No, that's how we greet supervillians. Hero's tend to just squeeze each other's hands until someone cracks bone.”

 

“Either way, the doctors love you guys,” dismissed Darcy with a grin. “But let's not do any hand-breaking today, hm?”

 

“I don't intend to,” assured Steve, pausing as he looked through the front window of the coffee shop. “She's in there, near the front of the line. The woman with green in her hair.”

 

The woman in question was standing inside, her face buried in a book that looked like it was written in a foreign language and her ear-phones tucked firmly in her ears. Her black hair was streaked through with green and held back from her face by a barrette with a series of runes carved into the metal. Her skin was pale, almost appearing to glint silver in the right light, and her green eyes were locked on the book in her hands.

 

“No fucking way,” muttered Darcy, a grin slipping over her lips as she pushed into the coffee shop and cut straight towards the front of the line. She leaned around a display, tapping the woman on the shoulder and waving as soon as she looked up.

 

Grinning as soon as she caught sight of Darcy, the woman pulled out her earphones and closed her book. “Darcy! What're you doing here?”

 

“Apparently, helping my buddy introduce himself to you,” replied Darcy, leaning against the display carefully. “How are you, Fen?”

 

Behind her, the door to the coffee shop dinged, drawing Darcy's attention. Steve stood in the doorway, looking awkward as his eyes darted between Darcy and Fen. Darcy just rolled her eyes and waved the supersoldier over.

 

Fen's eyes widened slightly. “That's the friend of yours you mentioned?”

 

“Yeah,” confirmed Darcy with a grin. “He really wants to ask you out.”

 

“Really?” asked Fen, her voice laced with surprise. “That's...surprising. He never spoke to me whenever I passed by, and I tried to get his attention a few times. Figured I wasn't his type.”

 

Darcy had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. “Yeah, he's really shy.”

 

Steve came to a halt in front of them, shifting awkwardly as he looked up at Fen. For a moment, he didn't say anything but rather just looked nervously at her. “Uh-”

 

Without much ado, Fen offered him a smile and held out her hand. “Hi, I'm Fen. It's very nice to meet you.”

 

“Steve Rogers, Ma'am,” supplied Steve thoughtlessly, his hand carefully gripping hers.

 

“It's nice to meet you, Steve Rogers,” replied Fen with a smile. “I was wondering if you were ever going to say hello.”

 

“Er, sorry?” offered Steve, shifting awkwardly. “You just always looked busy or, ya know, really into whatever you were reading and I didn't want to interrupt you....”

 

Fen shrugged, still smiling. “It's alright. Just means we'll flip the tables and I'll be the one asking you out. So, dinner tomorrow night?”

 

Steve visibly balked a little, clearly surprised, but Fen just smiled. “Yes! Uh, yes, please. I'll arrange everything, too. You shouldn't have to.”

 

“Whatever you want,” replied Fen with a shrug.

 

“Alright, uh, I'll pick you up at 6:30?” offered Steve.

 

“Sure,” confirmed Fen, stepping up and ordering a coffee. She then pulled out her phone and looked at Steve. “What's your phone number? I'll text you my address.”

 

Laughing, Darcy pulled out her own phone. “Give me the address, Fen. Steve's a bit old-fashioned and doesn't know his own phone number.”

 

“Really?” asked Fen, raising an eyebrow and giving Steve an appraising look.

 

Grinning, Darcy patted Steve on the shoulder and dropped her voice. “Fen, Steve is Captain America. He was frozen in ice in the 40's.”

 

“Oh,” murmured Fen, looking at Steve with more respect. “That makes more sense then.”

 

“Yep,” confirmed Darcy. “Do you still have my phone number?”

 

“Assuming it's still the same, yes,” replied Fen, flicking though her contacts.

 

“Great, send me your address and I'll send you Steve's contact information,” ordered Darcy, tapping at something in her phone. “He's finally learning how to use his phone, but it still freaks him out.”

 

Laughing, Fen nodded and hit a few buttons on her phone. “Alright, sent.” Smiling at Steve, she took her coffee from the barrestta and paid. “Unfortunately, I do need to go. I've got to get to work.”

 

“Alright,” agreed Darcy, holding up her hand for Fen to slap. Fen did so, wrapping her fingers around Darcy's hand. Darcy did the same. “It was good to see you, Fen. We need to get a drink.”

 

“We do,” agreed Fen, releasing Darcy's hand and turning to Steve. “It was very nice to finally speak to you, Steve. I'll see you tomorrow night.” Winking, Fen turned and walked away, exiting the building.

 

Once her former RA and friend had left, Darcy turned towards Steve only to find the super-soldier staring at the door where Fen had disappeared. His jaw was hanging open a little like he wasn't completely sure what had just happened, eyes widening as each second passed. It made Darcy grin. _Oh this is gonna be fun_ _. This is going to be very, very fun._

 

Trying to suppress her laughter, Darcy shook Steve's arm, drawing him back to the land of the living. When he blinked at her though, she just pulled him towards the door. “C'mon Steve, lets get back to the tower. I need my motor oil coffee this morning, not some cheap coffee-house crap.”

 

“Did that really just happen?” asked Steve as Darcy pulled him onto the sidewalk. “Do I really have a date?”

 

“You sound like you can't believe it,” teased Darcy. “Then again, Fen does that to people.”

 

Steve blinked at her, like he was just making the connection between Darcy and Fen. “You know her.”

 

“Fen was my college RA,” confirmed Darcy. “I know her very well.”

 

“Is she nice?” asked Steve, voice hopeful. “I kinda don't know anything about her.”

 

Smiling, Darcy linked their arms and started back towards the mansion. “Oh Steve, I can't tell you anything. It would spoil the fun!”

 

His face fell a little, making him look more like a sad puppy. “So she's not nice?”

 

“Fen? She's very nice if she likes you,” dismissed Darcy easily. “I wouldn't be friends with her if she wasn't. Hell, she helped protect Dani and I from a lot of the harassment in our dorm during my first time around in college. Fen's just someone you have to spend time with to actually understand her though.”

 

“As long as she's nice,” insisted Steve. “I don't care about anything else.”

 

“She's nice,” assured Darcy with a grin. “Don't worry Steve, Fen'll be good for you. She might break you, but she'll be good for you.”

 

“Break me?” repeated Steve uneasily. “What does that mean?”

 

Darcy just laughed. “You'll see. Don't worry though, I'm sure you'll survive.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this is a very rough transition but I have nothing to fill the space between and really can't do so without breaking away from the theme of this series which is Darcy, Tony, and Pepper. So, here is Darcy meeting Loki for the first time. And Tony suffering for it.

_God, today sucks_ , thought Darcy as she walked down one of the New York side streets towards Stark Mansion, her ear buds blasting music so loud she couldn't hear anything around her (it was against security, but she really just wanted to be home right now. The backpack she was carrying bounced with each step, the strap gripped firmly in one hand and the other hand shoved in the pocket of her jacket.

 

Normally, she loved school. She adored going to classes because occasionally she learned something she didn't already know and it gave her a chance to socialize with other students. Today though, well, today she wanted to murder one of her fellow students. _That bastard thinks he's so smart, but he messed with that wrong girl. I will make him eat his words when I show up with my-_

 

Her thoughts were interrupted when a body suddenly flew right in front of her face. She might have jumped if flying bodies weren't as common to her as they were. Which probably said something about her life, but she wasn't going to dwell on it. Instead, she popped out her ear buds and looked towards the person who'd just flown past her.

 

Steve groaned as he pushed himself off the wall he'd hit, leaving an imprint behind. His eyes scanned the area, immediately stopping on Darcy. The rate at which he paled couldn't be healthy. Frantically, he scrambled to his feet. “Darcy, get out of here!”

 

“What's going on?” asked Darcy, tilting her head at Steve.

 

The super-soldier never got a chance to respond. In the next moment, a random man wrapped in leather with a massive gold, horned helmet appeared in front of Darcy. Black hair was just visible beneath the gold and his pale skin looked almost unnatural in the bright sunlight. The man didn't even glance at her, his focus solely on Steve. “I expected more of you, Super-soldier.”

 

“Darcy, run!” ordered Steve as he scrambled to his feet. “Get out of here.”

 

In the next few seconds, several things happened. The man who came after Steve suddenly turned on Darcy who, still feeling jumpy over the recent kidnapping incident, activated her bracelet and fired at the man without a second thought. The sonic waves struck her target, flinging him several feet backwards and slamming him into a wall. The action left a rather impressive imprint on the bricks, outlining the man's body almost perfectly. Steve just stood gawking next to Darcy, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out what to say.

 

“Uh...” Looking at the mystery man, Darcy's first fleeting thought as her brain restarts is that the guy is _really_ cute. Not in the same way that Clint is; Clint is the 'I will chain you to my bed' type of hot where as the guy in front of her is more like James Bond. Which is funny given Clint actually _is_ a super-spy.

 

Steve started choking beside Darcy, staring at her in shock. “Did you just call him cute?”

 

“That didn't stay in my head, did it?” asked Darcy with a sigh. “Just don't tell Clint, please. He's so much hotter than this guy it's not even funny, but he'll still get all paranoid if he finds out.”

 

“I'm going to pretend I never heard you refer to Thor's crazy little brother as cute,” muttered Steve, shaking his head. “I mean, I hoped you had standards-”

 

“Hey!” objected Darcy, momentarily loosing her focus on their current situation. “Someone can be cute _and_ a total sociopath. That doesn't mean you can't admire how they look.”

 

“Are we really going to have this conversation?” asked Steve, staring at Darcy like she'd grown another head.

 

“You started it,” countered Darcy, folding her arms over her chest. “All I did was say someone was cute. You're the one who implied it might reflect who I would actually _date_.”

 

Steve opened his mouth to rebuke, only to be suddenly lifted clean off the ground and thrown back into the building by Loki before he could respond. The super-soldier flew through the hole in the brick again, his disappearance and the subsequent loud smack of him hitting something inside being followed by a moan. A pained one.

 

Turning back to Darcy, Loki narrowed his eyes. “I had no dispute with you, Mortal, until you chose to use your magic on me.”

 

“Uh, this is a mini sonic cannon, not magic,” objected Darcy, lifting her palm to reflect the device she'd built weeks before. “And you're attacking Steve for no reason. Of course I'm going to defend him.”

 

“It is not for no reason that I have targeted him,” argued Loki with a growl. “I have my reasons and they are not ones I expect a mortal to understand.”

 

“Yeah?” countered Darcy, crossing her arms over her chest. “Try me.”

 

However, before Loki could respond, a rather loud shout echoed from down the street. “Father! What the hell are you doing?”

 

Glancing down the street, Darcy caught sight of Fen as she stormed forward. “Hey Fen.”

 

“Hey Darcy,” replied Fen as she came to a stop beside Darcy, eyes locked on Loki. “Seriously Father, what is this?”

 

Loki winced slightly, still scowling as he gestured to the hole through which he'd tossed Steve. He nearly towered over Fen, though his stance wasn't menacing so much as protective. “I was having a chat with your supposed suitor. This man has nothing to offer you, Fen. Why do you insist upon associating with him, Daughter?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Fen crossed her arms the same way Darcy was and scowled up at Loki. “He's a honest guy, Father. Honest, kind, and loyal. Isn't that what you're always telling me to look for? Someone who'll stand beside me no matter what?”

 

“I am unconvinced this man is truly worthy of you,” countered Loki, scowl deepening. “That he will protect you as you should be protected.”

 

“Because you're my father,” argued back Fen. “You aren't _supposed_ to approve of my boyfriends. Besides, I can take care of myself.”

 

Sighing, Loki's shoulders slumped. “I know you are capable of such, Fen, but I would still prefer you be with someone who is at least capable of protecting you.”

 

Shaking her head, Darcy said the first thing that came to mine. “My dad doesn't approve of my boyfriend either, and he's one of my dad's teammates.”

 

Fen cocked an eyebrow at Darcy. “You mean Clint?”

 

“Yeah, he's Hawkeye,” replied Darcy with a shrug. “The dude with the bow.”

 

“He's cute,” remarked Fen with a shrug. “Think I said that already though.”

 

Loki groaned. “Fen, must you say such things?”

 

Fen just shrugged and climbed through the hole Steve had been thrown through. “Doesn't change anything if I _don't_ say it.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Darcy patted Loki's shoulder and dropped her voice. “If you want some advice, talk to my dad. He did this same thing with me.”

 

Looking at her with a raised eyebrow, Loki shot Darcy an incredulous look. “And who are you to believe I do not know what I am doing? Or furthermore, that I lack my own associates to seek advice from?”

 

“Because Thor doesn't have kids, Odin's already proven he has terrible parenting skills, and your mother will just tell you to let her be,” replied Darcy with a shrug, shifting her backpack. “I'm guessing none of the other men you're familiar with have children either. So, talk to my dad. Have a drink. He'll maybe, possibly be able to help. He certainly isn't a screw up as a father.” Retracting her sonic cannon back into it's bracelet form, she turned to the hole in the wall. “Hey Fen, I'm gonna bolt.”

 

Her friend's head popped out a moment later, followed by Steve's head, shoulders, and the rest of his body as Fen helped him out of the hole. “Where are you going?”

 

“Home,” replied Darcy with a wave as she started down the street. “I have robot to build and people to humiliate with my genius.”

 

“Don't forget to video tape it!” called Fen just before Darcy turned the corner. Darcy just gave her a thumbs up and popped her ear buds back in.

 

\--------------------------

 

A knock on Darcy's lab door drew her attention away from the robot that was currently still in pieces in front of her. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Tony standing on the other side of her lab's wall looking somewhere between thoughtful and concerned. That was never a good sign.

 

“Josie, lower the music and admit my dad, please,” called Darcy, spinning away from her creation to face her father completely.

 

He stepped inside a moment later, scratching his head. “Hey Darce, do you know why Loki popped into my lab earlier for a drink and a discussion about parenting?”

 

She shrugged, picking up the cup of coffee resting near her arm. “Because I told him to talk with you about how to handle his daughter dating.”

 

“I got that much, but I'm wondering where you come into this whole thing,” replied Tony, eying Darcy worriedly. “Who's his daughter?”

 

“Fen,” answered Darcy, taking a sip of her coffee. “And he decided beating up Steve would somehow get Steve to stop dating Fen. She didn't take that very well.”  
  


“Yeah, that's kinda a no brainer,” muttered Tony. “Otherwise I would have tried it with Clint. Maybe.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Darcy stood and stretched. “So how did it go?”

 

“Fine,” confirmed Tony with a shrug, dropping onto one of the free stools in her lab. “He's....less crazy than I thought. Also, kinda afraid of you. Plus, he's joining the Avengers, I think.”

 

Darcy blinked in surprise. “Wow, that's a complete 180. What caused that one?”

 

“Apparently, he's afraid of the fact that I've managed to reproduce,” replied Tony with a shake of his head. “Can't decide if that's an insult or a compliment.”

 

“Compliment,” replied Darcy. “Just take it as a compliment.”

 

“Yeah....” Shaking his head again, Tony refocused on his daughter. “Anyway, that's that. Steve's in medical still, Fen's with him....you know, the fact that she's Loki's kid explains a lot.”

 

“Trust me, I came to the same conclusion,” agreed Darcy as she moved to nuke her coffee.

 

Nodding, Tony stood and stretched. “Alright, well, I'll leave you to build a robot to shame every kid in your school. But Darcy?”

 

“Yeah?” asked Darcy, looking over her shoulder at her dad.

 

“Next time, please warn me when you send a super villain to me for parenting advice,” requested Tony. “Walking into my lab to find one of the guy's I've beaten the crap out of sitting there looking for advice isn't my idea of a fun Wednesday night.”


End file.
